


Star Struck

by a_day_in_derry



Category: IT (2017), IT - Stephen King
Genre: Aged-Up Character(s), Alternate Universe - College/University, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Best Friends, College, Flirting, Fluff, Friends to Lovers, Homophobic Language, Hurt/Comfort, Implied Sexual Content, M/M, Mentions of Sex, Reddie, slight angst
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-12-04
Updated: 2018-01-08
Packaged: 2019-02-10 16:50:11
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 6
Words: 6,013
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12916125
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/a_day_in_derry/pseuds/a_day_in_derry
Summary: Eddie is suddenly falling head over heels, and he has no idea what to do.Based on a prompt from @gabriellefe on tumblr:"I came up to your apartment to ask you to turn down your music and have quieter sex, but it turns out that you've just been jumping up and down on your bed in your underwear listening to music alone"





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Hello everyone! This is my first fic that I'm posting publicly, and I'm very excited (and a bit nervous) for the respons! Please feel free to leave a comment with some feedback, or a nice comment, I'd greatly appreciate it!
> 
> Also I know there isn't that much Reddie interaction in this first chapter but I promise you that will change! :)  
> I hope you enjoy!

When Eddie Kaspbrak glanced at the clock on the opposite-facing wall to where he was lying, he could briefly make out that the time read 1:26 am. He grumbled quietly, snuggling back into the comfort of his warm duvet and pressing his pillow across his ears. 

He was at it again.

Recently, a newcomer had moved into the dorm above Eddie when the last student had dropped out - he had never been particularly fond of the previous tenant, so he was excited to meet this new person. However, that excitement was quickly diminished and replaced with repulsion. Every evening, without fail, the strange new man whom Eddie had never actually seen blasted god-awful music at an inappropriately high volume right above where poor Eddie slept. On top of that, the newcomer had apparently taken to having sex on a particularly squeaky bed, which left Eddie blushing from the room below.  
_

“He’s so _annoying_ , Bill!” 

As Eddie pushed his way into a seat next to his friend, he scowled deeply. He had bags under his eyes from lack of sleep, and his vision was bleary and clouded. Bill hummed thoughtfully, tapping a pencil to the corner of his mouth. “Y-you know,” he said, “You c-could just go uh-up there and ask him to st-stop?”

“No!” Eddie squeaked quickly, “I can’t do that! He’s having _sex!_ ” Bill shrugged silently. “Your ch-choice I guess, b-but that’s what I would do.” Pushing his thoughts aside for the time being, Eddie retrieved his equipment from his backpack and tried his hardest to make notes  
_

Eddie pushed open the door to his dorm and collapsed on the sofa. All day, he had barely been focused due to his lack of sleep. Growing up with a strict parent, he had always set himself early bed times in order to get the right amount of rest for the day ahead. But now, his schedule was being interrupted, all because of that damn student above him. And now he was very tired. Slowly, Eddie allowed this tiredness to wrap around him and entice him into falling asleep, still on the sofa. 

He awoke again at 7:34pm. Although not as late as the days prior, Eddie knew exactly what had awoken him. And sure enough, some awful metal band melody drilled into his skull and the familiar squeaking followed; Eddie Kaspbrak had had enough. A sudden sense of bravery washing over him, he stood, unlocking his door and closing it after him, to march up the stairs, every step displaying the annoyance radiating from the small boy. Soon enough, he came to a halt outside the door, and much to Eddie’s surprise, the door was cracked open, the awful music pouring out of it unsympathetically. Eddie decided he didn’t care what he saw, or what the student inside would think of him, and with a deep breath, he pushed open to door to hell. 

The sight that met him was one he would never have expected.

The door to the dorm’s bedroom was wide open, and on the bed, a lanky boy with stunning, tousled black hair and thick-rimmed glasses, wearing only oversized pyjama bottoms and mismatched socks, was jumping to the beat of the music wildly, using his hands to play air guitar and pulling an array of facial expressions. 

He was _very attractive_. And shirtless. And Eddie was incredibly star struck.

In what felt like an eternity but in reality most likely only lasted a few seconds, the boy turned to face Eddie with a look of pure horror crossing his face, only to be diminished and quickly replaced with a toothy grin. He leapt off the bed and came striding up to Eddie, towering over him with glee. “What can I do for you, gorgeous?” he exclaimed, extending a hand. “The name’s Richie Tozier. But I guess I’ll let you call me Richie.” At this remark he winked, and Eddie felt like he was going to faint. Shakily, he took Richie’s hand, dropping it almost immediately and muttering, “I’m Eddie. I’m from the dorm below you. I was uh, I was just coming to ask if you could turn down your music. It keeps waking me up in the middle of the night and um, it’s kinda annoying.” At this, the smaller of the two spun on his heel and made rapidly for the exit, hearing a “Sure thing Eds!” from behind him, which, much to his annoyance, made him blush profusely. As he left he quipped, “Don’t call me that!” And didn’t look back again.  
_

That night, Eddie got the best sleep he had had for three weeks, since Richie Tozier moved in above him. And two days after, said person had been on his mind constantly, right from the way his eyes sparkled when he smiled to the cute-ass freckles that adorned his nose and cheeks, not to mention his hair. _Oh god,_ his hair.

Little did Eddie know, he was about to have his heart crushed. As he made his way to his dorm, running his fingers through his fine brown hair, a movement in the corner of his eye caught his attention and he spun to face the culprit. On the stairs leading up to the dorms above him, a girl with long brown hair and flushed cheeks was pressed against the wall, breathing heavily. Leaning over her and sucking dark purple marks into her neck was the one and only Richie, a smile plastered on his swollen lips and small moans escaping him. Blushing severely with a deep pang echoing somewhere inside of him, Eddie turned and ran into his dorm room, slamming the door behind him. He wasn’t exactly sure what he expected – of course Richie was straight, he had just flirted with Eddie because that’s what Richie does. _Get over yourself,_ Eddie thought with despair, _you only met him once._


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Eddie can't stop thinking about Richie, maybe too much.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey all! Here's chapter two! I know it's a bit short, but better things are to come ;)

When Eddie awoke and checked his phone, his body filled with dread – he was late. With a large amount of haste, he threw together his belongings in his backpack, got changed quickly and had just enough time to fix his hair in the mirror before he was on his way. He locked the door messily, turning around and adapting a quick pace in order to get to his lesson on time. Unfortunately, things didn’t work out as planned. As he turned, his head collided roughly with something soft and warm. The next thing Eddie knew, he was tumbling to the floor with a bang, hitting his head and groaning loudly. As he rubbed his head with the inevitable headache beginning to creep in, scuffed converse shoes made their way towards him and a hand stretched into his line of view. Fuck. Reluctantly, Eddie lifted his gaze and met soft, brown, forgiving eyes with his own. “Hey, Eddie, I’m sorry about that. I wasn’t looking where I was going… are you okay?” Of all people, Eddie had to bump into _Richie._

“I’m fine.” He took Richie’s hand in his own, for the second time, and lifted himself from the ground, dusting off his jeans with his hands. For a few seconds, although Eddie may have imagined it, Richie’s hand lingered, and then it was gone as soon as it appeared. “God, I’m so late…” Eddie mumbled, taking one quick look over at Richie once more, and scuttling away as quickly as he could, forgetting to thank him for helping him up.  
_

“Hey, guys,” Eddie slid into a seat next to his friend Stan as he sat down with his lunch. Around his table, Bill, Mike and Ben mumbled some form of a greeting back and continued their conversation. “So, I was like, that can’t be right. The answer was definitely 77, not 58! I was so sure as well!” the group all laughed at Ben’s remark, except Eddie, who had only caught the tail end of the conversation and had no idea what everyone was talking about. “So, h-how has your day been s-so far E-Eddie?” Bill questioned, turning to face him. 

“I was late to my first lecture, but after that, it’s been fine.” He replied, picking at his chips slightly. All day, he had been filled with thoughts of Richie. He was so embarrassed about the earlier encounter that he couldn’t stop. Just as this thought crossed Eddie’s mind, in the corner of his eye he spotted a mop of dark brown curls and he instantly looked in their direction. It was Richie, with a girl. But not the same girl Eddie had seen the day prior: she had long, ginger hair tied up in a loose ponytail, and more freckles than Richie. They were laughing together, backs against the walls, and had both lit a cigarette and were blowing smoke absentmindedly. Beverly Marsh, Eddie recalled. Ben took a lot of classes with her and seemed to speak about her a lot. Thinking of this, Eddie glanced over at his friend, just to see him looking in the same direction as he had been.   
And as Eddie looked back, he caught Richie’s eye, and Richie’s face crinkled into a smile, one that extended to his eyes. He was beautiful.   
Blushing, Eddie returned a small smile and went back to his food. 

“Damn, Eddie!” Stan piped from beside him. “Don’t tell me you have your eye on Richie Tozier! He’s fucked like, everyone in the school, and he’s only been here for just over a month.” Stan lowered his voice and softened his tone. “Save yourself the hurt, yeah?” 

“I-I don’t like him like that, Stan. We’ve only met a couple of times. It’s nothing.” Eddie replied, blushing deeper. From across the table, Mike patted his hand gently. “Don’t worry about it, Eddie.” He spoke, offering him a reassuring smile. Eddie frowned slightly, upset that his friends were giving him pity for something he didn’t need. He didn’t like Richie; he just thought he was attractive. And somehow, Eddie couldn’t believe that Richie was exactly how Stan had described him.


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Eddie thinks he's made a huge mistake. As usual, Richie is confused.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey all! I hope this chapter makes up for the last one being so small! This one's pretty angsty, so I hope you enjoy ;)

Lips crashed together in a hot haze. Eddie’s hands tangled tightly into thick black curls. Two large, thin hands cupped his face and the owner kissed him senseless.   
_

When Stan told Eddie there was going to be a party just outside campus, Eddie reluctantly agreeing to go with the rest of his friends, he wasn’t expecting it to end up like this. When they had arrived, loud music blared from large speakers and college students were everywhere, talking loudly and drinking from red plastic cups. _It was just like a typical party,_ Eddie thought skeptically to himself. But, despite this, he allowed Ben to shove a cup into his hand, and he allowed himself to drink it. Once Eddie had downed his drink and maybe a few more, he decided maybe the party wasn’t going to be so bad. He tapped Bill’s shoulder lightly. “I’m going to refill my cup!” He shouted over the blaring bass, hoping his friend could hear him. “O-o-okay E-Eddie, I’ll wait huh-here!” Eddie, already slightly tipsy, left on his friend’s reply and made his way to the other side of the house, where the drinks resided. But much to his horror, Richie stood right by the punch bowl, a huge grin spread across his dopey face whilst he spoke to the girl he was always with, Beverly, a cup of the punch in his hand. Eddie prepared himself to walk the other way, when he heard, “Eds! Eddie! Hi!” and saw the lanky boy muttering to Bev, handing her the cup and making his way over. Eddie panicked. However, he quickly composed himself, and replied, “I said – don’t call me that.” 

“You like it,” Richie commented as he came face to face with Eddie. “Admit it. Don’t think I haven’t seen you staring at me,” he leaned in, “Eddie-bear.” Eddie’s whole face lit a furious shade of red, the alcohol really not helping the situation. “I do not-“ he began, but before he could finish, Riche leaned in closer.  
“I’ve been watching you too, cutie.” The pair’s eyes met for a long moment, and Eddie honestly couldn’t take it anymore. Later, he’d blame it on his fuzzy mind, but in the heat of the moment he’d had enough of Richie’s taunts and flirting. Quickly, he crashed his lips against the taller boy’s, dragging him closer by his awful Hawaiian shirt. A squeak of surprise left Richie’s mouth, but it didn’t take him long to reciprocate the kiss. Eddie felt Richie’s hand come to the small of his back and pull him in, and Eddie’s heart was flailing wildly. “Hey-“ Richie whispered in between kisses, “Why don’t we go back to my dorm-“ his voice was tickling Eddie’s ear, “Where we’d get a bit more privacy?” Eddie’s mind began whirling. Richie wanted _him?_  
For a brief second the idea of Richie just needing something to play with crossed his mind, but it was gone as soon as it appeared, and Eddie nodded breathlessly into the crook of Richie’s neck. “Okay, Eddie Spaghetti. C’mon.” How many nicknames did Richie have for him? Before Eddie had long to process everything that was happening, he was being dragged outside by the hand, and could hear Richie mumbling something about a taxi into his phone. Before he had left, he heard a shout that sounded distinctly like Stan’s, but he ignored it.  
_

Eddie had never felt so alive. He was making out with Richie-goddamn-Tozier. He felt himself being pushed down onto a familiarly squeaky bed, a weight coming to rest on top of him and flushed lips reconnecting with his own. “You’re so fucking cute, Eddie,” Richie breathed against him, lips now coming to work on Eddie’s neck, earning a small moan. He came back up to Eddie’s face and dropped small pecks all over it, “Cute cute cute.” With that he pressed down on Eddie, and Eddie whimpered at the contact. “Fuck.” He breathed softly. 

“Goddamn right I will, Eds.”   
_

The clock read 11:45pm. Eddie’s head was resting on Richie’s chest, the taller boy having fallen asleep not long ago. Eddie observed him in the dark, watching the way his lips were parted ever so slightly and his eyelids fluttered as he slept. Richie’s arm was curled around Eddie, and Eddie felt safe. Sighing happily, drunk now on not only alcohol but also euphoria, the smaller of the two snuggled into Richie, breathing in his distinct scent, and fell asleep.  
_

When Eddie awoke, he was instantly filled with regret. Richie was still asleep. What the hell had he been thinking? Stan was exactly right; Richie was a player. His thoughts were confirmed when Richie’s phone lit up with a buzz, a message from _Hannah_ displayed on the screen: _‘Hey babe. Last week was so fun! Fancy going out again tonight? ;)’._ Tears pricked at Eddie’s deep brown eyes. He couldn’t believe that he’d allowed himself to be led on – he wasn’t cute, he wasn’t anything that Richie had told him last night. He was just something to be tossed around and used. Carefully, he reached for his own phone and found miss calls and texts from almost all of his friends. God, he’d really fucked up. He sat up and lifted his shirt over his bare chest, and began getting changed. Richie stirred from the bed. “Eddie?” He mumbled, rolling over to face him. Eddie watched him, a deep, empty sadness dancing across his face as he looked at the beautiful boy. Richie frowned. “Eds? What’s wrong?”

“Don’t fucking call me that. Just – “ Eddie wiped tears from his face. “- Don’t.” He took off and left as quickly as he could, leaving a very confused and upset Richie in his wake.   
_

When Eddie returned to his own dorm, he collapsed onto his bed and let go. He began to sob uncontrollably. He had texted Stan on the way down, and it didn’t take his friend long to enter and come over to Eddie, pulling him into a hug and rubbing comforting circles on his back as he released all of his emotions.


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The group sleepover doesn't exactly go as planned.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> You finally get some Richie POV in this chapter, so I hope you enjoy!
> 
> I'd also like to say thank you for the nice comments I've been receiving - I would probably have discontinued this fic without them, and they encourage me to keep going! Thank you!

Almost instantly after the words, “sleepover at m-my house?” Were declared by Bill, Stan, Ben and Mike all shouted in agreement. “E-Eddie? What about you?” Bill turned towards his friend, a section of stray hairs falling over his eye. He smiled encouragingly. “Yeah – that sounds fun.” Eddie smiled tightly from where he sat. The rest of the group nodded, taking that as closure and immediately beginning to plan their weekend. Eddie’s eyes drifted across the table to Beverly. For the past week, she had occasionally arrived at the bench with Ben after whatever class it was they had together and Eddie hated it. He didn’t hate Bev, really, she just reminded him of things he’d much rather not think about. And he had never meant to be rude to her at all, but he couldn’t help himself. As they met eyes, Bev smiled warmly, and Eddie sighed. She was still trying her best. It was almost laughable! Eddie scowled in return.

It had been two weeks since the _incident._ Eddie had not spoken a word to Richie. On one occasion, they had passed one another on the stairs and met eyes. Richie had opened his mouth as if to say something, his eyes filled with desperation, but Eddie had walked on quickly. He wasn’t going to allow himself to get hurt. It was just some stupid game that Richie was playing and Eddie knew it. Much to his immense frustration and anger, Richie had started up the whole ‘playing music in the middle of the night’ thing, except this time, there was no squeaking of the bed, and the music that had been seeping into Eddie’s bedroom was melancholy and downbeat. It was all just a game.  
_

“Bevvy, pass me one.” Bev obliged and handed the trashmouth a cigarette. “Thanks.” He mumbled over the death stick, lighting it and bringing his head to the wall, where he closed his eyes and remained. The first time that Richie had ever seen Eddie, it was the day he moved in above him. The small boy had not noticed him, but my god; he was the cutest goddamn thing that he had ever seen. He was wearing a neatly pressed yellow polo shirt and shorts that were way to small for him, not that Richie minded. His hair was a beautiful, soft brown, unlike Richie’s messy, frustrating curls. He remembers turning to Beverly, whom he had known prior to moving, and pointing straight at Eddie. “Who is that? I want that one.”  
“What?” Beverly had laughed in reply, “Eddie Kaspbrak? Good luck, Tozier.” At this Richie had frowned, vowing that he was going to prove his friend wrong. 

When Eddie had walked into his room, Richie was delighted. The small ball of anger and nerves had made his day. And he had felt like Eddie was maybe kind of into him, right? When he saw him at the party, Tozier knew it was his time to make a move. And he was right. 

They never actually had sex that night, but nonetheless, it was perfect. Richie had taken the smaller boy back to his dorm and they had been making out when Richie really stopped to admire the boy beneath him. This wasn’t like one of his usual hook-ups. Eddie was… _different,_ he was special, and Richie had felt the overwhelming urge to protect him and to keep him. This was the one. “Fuck.” Eddie had breathed out at one point, the trashmouth retaliating “Goddamn right I will, Eds!” But he didn’t mean it; he was just joking. However, Eddie seemingly took this the wrong way and had become more desperate and needy. “Whoa, easy, tiger.” Richie laughed, licking his lips and cupping Eddie’s face in his own. “Look, I wanna… take this slow, okay? Not that. Yet. Is that okay?” Eddie had nodded, looking rather flushed with embarrassment. Or maybe it was the alcohol. “M’Sorry, Richie.” He had all but whispered back, causing the trashmouth almost to choke. “No, no, don’t be!” he replied, bringing his lips back down to Eddie’s and kissing him lazily. That’s how the rest of the night had gone. Then there was the morning. Where everything had gone wrong. 

He had awoken with a start, inwardly cursing whatever had awoken him. Almost immediately, he remembered last night, and smiled softly, turning to face the boy that had slept in his bed that night. But when he had turned over, Eddie was sitting upright, pulling his shirt back over himself and frowning. He looked upset. “Eddie?” He had mumbled, extending his hand closer to him slightly. Eddie watched him then, and looked as if he was about to cry. Richie’s insides twisted. "Eds? What’s wrong?”  
“Don’t fucking call me that. Just – don’t.” And with that he had got up and fled. Richie’s heart flipped in his chest. What the fuck? Had he done something? He could feel his own tears pricking at his eyes, and he allowed a few to roll down his cheeks, confusion and hurt engulfing him. Richie looked at the spot where Eddie had once been and frowned sadly.

When he had detailed this to Bev, she shook her head sadly. “I don’t know why he ran away. I’m sorry, Rich.” 

Now, as Richie laid puffing smoke from his mouth, he frowned once more. Over the past two weeks, Eddie had avoided him like the plague, and it hurt. He just wanted to talk, see what the problem was. Bev had been a huge help, even occasionally going to sit with Eddie and his friends, half to be with Ben, and half to see if she could find out anything. But mostly all she got was that both boys were moping.  
_

Friday came and left, leaving a promising Saturday in its wake for Eddie and his friends. They all arrived at Bill’s with snacks and duvets and pillows, and for the first time in a while Eddie felt happy, content. Until Ben arrived. “Hey, uh – guys? I hope you don’t mind, but I invited my friend Bev to our sleepover. You know, the one who’s been coming to sit with us?” The group nodded, smiling. They liked Beverly. Eddie sighed with frustration. “And, um, she’s bringing her friend, Richie Tozier? I don’t know if any of you guys have met him.” Eddie’s jaw, quite literally, hung open. He had to be fucking kidding. But Ben’s face was deadly serious. Next to him, Stan was just as shocked. “You did what?” He shrieked, becoming deadly serious in an instant. Ben really could be clueless sometimes. Only Stan truly knew what had gone on between Richie and Eddie, but Eddie had thought the rest of the group at least had an idea. Apparently not all of them had. Ben squirmed. “He’s not that bad! I like him!” Mike rolled his eyes and Bill snorted. Stan just glared. Eddie was still in shock, not moving from his position. This was real, it was happening.


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Eddie and Richie really need to sit down and talk, and the rest of the losers bring it upon themselves to make sure that happens.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey everyone! Honestly, this was my favourite chapter to write so far, so I hope you enjoy reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it. This moment has been long awaited! The next chapter will be a prologue that's gonna wrap up this whole fic. I'm so thankful for every person who has commented, bookmarked or left kudos, it means the world to me as I was very nervous about this whole thing!   
> Please let me know what you think, and thank you all <3

After Ben had become, a _little more informed_ on the situation with Richie courtesy of Stan, he had apologised meekly to his friends. They all quickly forgave him, Mike exclaiming, “I’m sure it will be fine! More people mean more food and more fun, after all!” To which the rest of the group, aside from Eddie, had agreed. Every fibre of the small boy’s being was filled with dread. He hadn’t spoken to Richie in weeks and had tried his hardest to keep everything together. He was debating leaving now before Richie arrived, but he knew his friends would be upset, and after all, he didn’t want the trashmouth to ruin another part of his life. Unbeknownst to Eddie, his friends all privately agreed that maybe this would be a good thing, and the two boys could talk it out and fix their mistakes. Although they knew that with Eddie, that may be difficult.   
_

As the small group of friends sat around Bill’s carpet on the mild Saturday evening playing cards, the rumble of a tired-sounding engine coming to a halt outside disturbed the peace. Eddie watched Ben’s face light up as Beverly stepped out of the passenger side of the old truck. He wished he could be just as happy seeing them. Richie stepped out soon after, hair tousled into a messy bun atop his head. He was wearing super tight ripped jeans, with a plain white shirt and a jacket. It made sense to Eddie that all the girls fawned at his feet and kissed the ground that boy walked. He was damn near stunning with his fucking freckles and his stupid glasses. _And,_ a voice in Eddie’s head reminded him, _he’s not yours. He doesn’t like you._  
Before Bill had the chance to get up and invite the pair into his house, Richie came crashing through the door with alcohol and snacks. Bill didn’t mind, in fact, he was grinning widely.   
It also made sense to Eddie that his friends liked Richie. He was charismatic, and loud, and shared the same sense of humour as the rest of them. It was almost as if he was the missing puzzle piece to the group, he fit in. Eddie hated it. He wished he hated Richie. “What’s up, losers?” Richie shouted, cutting Eddie’s thoughts off sharply.   
“Hello, Richie, how are you?” Mike had replied, not attempting to hide the smile that grew on his face. “I am feeling marvellous, ol’ chap!” Richie drawled in a terrible British accent, slinging his arm around Mike’s shoulder. “Let’s get this party started!”   
_

A couple of hours after Richie and Bev’s arrival, the sleepover had been going pleasantly well. Eddie had managed to avoid Richie the whole time, and the group had descended into friendly chatter as they ate snacks and lazed in Bill’s lounge. “Hey!” Ben had called from the kitchen, “How does, uh… how does the oven work?” Bill mumbled quietly and got up to go and assist him, as the friends needed their food. The rest of the group jumped at the opportunity quickly; Bev got up and left followed by Stan and Mike. Richie and Eddie remained in the room together. Eddie cradled his cider nervously. Riche spoke. “Well, Eddie Spag-“  
“What the fuck, Richie?” Eddie snapped suddenly, getting up. “Fuck you. I’m going to go and help.” But as the smaller boy made his way towards the door and passed the armchair that the other currently resided in, he felt a slender hand grab his wrist. Anger bubbled in Eddie and he writhed around to face Richie, prepared to shout whatever came to his head first. However, he stopped abruptly when the trashmouth’s eyes met his own. They were pleading, begging Eddie to stay.   
There was no trace of a joke, only genuine confusion and hurt. “Please,” Richie spoke quietly, “Speak to me. Tell me what… Tell me what I did wrong.” For a long moment, Eddie stood rooted to the spot, his head racing. But eventually, he sat down again, facing Richie and wringing his hands nervously. “Eddie?” Richie whispered softly.   
“Richie,” Eddie replied, “Look. I’ve tried so hard to figure out what you’re playing at, but you’re just making everything more confusing.” He paused, taking a breath, “I really like you. I have done since the first day we met. But – you don’t like me. I know you don’t, and I don’t understand what you want from me. You got what you wanted, didn’t you? You had your fun, and now you’re just pushing it. I’m fucking sick of this, Richie. You couldn’t- you couldn’t ever like somebody like me, and I should have known it.” He paused again, shaking visibly, summoning all his strength in order to keep himself from crying, “Just – go back to your girlfriend, and leave me alone, please.” At that he trembled and began to cry silently, holding his hands up to his face in order to block Richie’s view as much as possible. His shoulders shook steadily and his breath came in short, desperate gasps. Nobody in his life had ever loved him the way he thought Richie might have, and he had been wrong about that, too. He was unworthy of people’s love. Eddie felt a touch at his shoulder and he flinched. He felt another hand come to rest in his hair and that hand began stroking it softly. It only made him sob more. “Oh, Eddie,” Richie cooed softly by his face, the trashmouth trembling just as much as he was. “I don’t want to leave you alone. I – I don’t understand. Of course I like you, why would I take you back to my dorm if I didn’t? I really like you, Eddie Kaspbrak. You’re so beautiful.” Richie pressed his freckled cheek against the other’s, sighing softly as he continued to hold the shaking boy. Eddie’s body was wracked with another bout of trembles, and Richie held him close, as if he was the most precious thing on earth. “But,” Eddie whispered in between sobs, “What about Hannah, what about - the other girls?” His hands had come to grip Richie’s shirt as he tried his hardest to calm down and process the information. In the corner of his eye he spotted Beverly closing the door with a soft click, and he thanked her silently. “Hannah?” Richie questioned. “Oh shit – you saw the message, didn’t you?” Eddie nodded, still refusing to look up and meet Richie’s eyes. He was too afraid to see the disgust, the hatred. “Eddie-bear, she was just a one night stand. I promise. I didn’t feel anything towards her. I- I declined her offer, if you were wondering.” He pressed his lips to the smaller boy’s head. “You’re not like her, Eds. Please believe me. You are the best person I have ever met. I want you.” Then it was Richie’s turn to cry, and he took off his glasses to wipe his eyes, removing his hand from Eddie’s hair in the process. Eddie whined slightly at the loss of contact. He still wasn’t sure what to believe, but god, he wanted Richie so badly. “Do you mean it?” Eddie whispered into the trashmouth’s shirt.   
“More than anything.” Richie replied, and Eddie finally looked up to meet his eyes. They were watery, and sad, but a glimmer of hope still flickered there. Eddie clumsily pressed his lips against Richie’s with a worried frown and the hope that maybe he had been wrong about the other. This kiss was different to the one at the party; it wasn’t desperate, rushed or heated – it was quiet, forgiving and loving. As their lips parted Richie pressed his head against Eddie’s, bringing his hand back to card through his smooth, brown hair and using the other to cling to the smaller boy. “I’m so sorry, Eddie.” He mumbled quietly.   
“Me too.”   
“Shall we join the others?”  
“Yeah.” And with that, Richie stood up and turned around to kiss just above Eddie’s eye, one last sign that he was sorry, and he meant everything he had said. Eddie nodded shortly, he understood, nothing needed to be said aloud. He reached up and pushed a stray curl from the trashmouth’s face with a tender hand and placed it behind his ear. Everything was going to be okay.


	6. Epilogue

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The story of the Loser's Club.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is the end of my story. I would like to thank every person who commented or left kudos, and would like to thank any to come. I really enjoyed writing this, and will be writing a lot more in the future, I hope! I apologise for the long wait, I've been particularly busy with the restart of school etc as I am sitting important exams in a few months. I hope you've enjoyed reading this fic as much as I've enjoyed writing it!
> 
> A/N: the song mentioned is 'Paint a Vulgar Picture' by The Smiths.

Richie Tozier and Beverly Marsh hadn’t taken long to become firm friends with Stan, Mike, Ben, Bill and Eddie. They called themselves the Losers’ Club – courtesy of Richie. By the time summer rolled around, the group had embarked on many out-of-town adventures and sleepovers together. They had only all been together like this for a couple of months, but to the teenagers, it had felt like a lifetime. Ben was still hot on Bev’s heels, and everyone knew that she would catch on, soon. Stan and Bill had grown exceptionally close, and insist they are just friends – the Losers knew better. Mike was his usual self, happy and content to just be with his friends, although he did often speak of a kind-eyed girl in his art history class. 

Eddie and Richie had decided to take things slowly. Eddie was still cautious of being hurt, Richie was cautious of causing hurt. So they basked in the glow of their more-than-friends-but-not-quite-lovers relationship. It didn’t matter what other people said, because they had each other, and they both knew that it would happen one day. 

And one day, on a lazy summer’s evening in Eddie’s hometown, where Richie had come to spend some of the summer, happen it did. 

Richie was swaying his hips about Eddie’s bedroom, the smaller boy’s record player humming quietly in the background –

_‘And in my bedroom in those ugly new houses, I dance my legs, down to the knees’_

\- Eddie sat on his bed, watching with adoration as the lanky boy kicked his legs and span to the sound of the tune, laughing softly. As the track came to an end, the trashmouth sank down beside his friend, puffing out laughter along with him. “You know, Eds, I think it would be a lot more fun if you danced with me!” 

Eddie quirked his brow as he met Richie’s eyes. “No way. You know how I am about that kinda stuff.”

Richie huffed in mock annoyance, throwing his arms behind his head as he lay down on the bed. “You’re no fun, Spaghetti.” 

“Uh huh.” Eddie replied softly, coming to rest by his side. Suddenly they were very close. It wasn’t an unusual for the two to be in a position like this, but somehow, as the warm breeze of the night tickled their cheeks, lying in Eddie’s childhood bedroom, something felt different. “Hey, Eddie,” Richie all but whispered, turning so he was looking at the other boy’s face, “Can I maybe – can I kiss you?” The question was so unexpected that Eddie had frozen. They hadn’t kissed, not properly, since the night at Bill’s house almost three months ago. They had held hands, and kissed each other’s faces, but not on the lips – not since Bill’s. It had just felt uncomfortable to Eddie, he had read somewhere about kissing increasing your attraction to a person, there was still something within him that feared abandonment, and he didn’t want to risk getting too attached. But tonight felt different. He turned, oh so slowly, so that he was facing Richie. He looked deep into the other boy’s eyes. There was longing, and hope, and nerves, but an overwhelming sense of something more – love? 

Eddie leaned in. His lips met Richie’s. And the pent-up desire and need from the past few months came spilling out all at once as Eddie’s hand tugged at Richie’s hair and pulled him closer, the taller boy’s hands around his waist as they kissed messily and hungrily, just like the first time. Slowly, softly, it came to an end, as they pulled apart, panting quietly. “Wow.” Richie breathed. He pulled Eddie closer to him and the smaller boy snuggled into his chest, twining his fingers into the trashmouth’s shirt. 

“You should be my boyfriend, cutie.”

Eddie smacked Richie lightly, but smirked to himself. “Alright.” 

The evening was spent much the same way, kisses shared between each other and memories made that will never be forgotten. In a few weeks time, they would go on to reunite with the Losers back at college and confess their relationship. Their friends, of course, would be overjoyed. Stan and Bill would then open up themselves, to which everyone would roll there eyes and say, “obviously.” But would be happy for them all the same. 

Eddie would think back to the first time he met Richie, shirtless, bouncing on his bed whilst playing air guitar. He would then turn over to look at the same boy, sleeping beside him and letting out soft snores. 

He could not have asked for more.


End file.
